Folding chair.



w.o. cANoUTs.

FOLDING CHAIR.

' APPLICATION FILED lUG. 3', 1908.

937,567. y Patented 0ct,19,19o9.

@mamma Z010, ,C'czzzocds wiiiiiis o. oANoUTs, or BUTTERNUT, MICHGA.

vFoLDINGr CHAIR.

semer.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented oet. 19, 1909.

Application filed August 3, 1908. Serial No. 446,748.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, IVILLIS O. CANoUTs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Butternut, rin the county of Montcalm and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in chairs of the folding type, and the object of the invention is an improved device of this character' which embodies a peculiar construction by means of which it is rendered very strong and is susceptible of sustaining a comparatively great weight, in which the seat portion may be readily swung into an inoperative position out of the way and presents no projections upon which clothing is liable to become snagged, thus rendering the chair particularly adapted for use in music halls or similar places where it is desirable to provide roomy aisles between the rows of chairs, when the same are not in use, and in which the parts when folded are arranged to assume positions substantially in the same plane, to form a compact structure so as to render the chair capable of being stored in a comparatively small space, or shipped without much danger of becoming damaged.

With this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe, and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof, illustrating the position of the parts when the chair is folded; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; and, Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

My improved chair embodies transversely spaced side pieces 1 which have their longitudinal edges recessed, as indicated at 1a, to forml relatively wide intermediate portions and upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders 3V and .4. The lower portions of the side pieces constitute the front legs of the chair and are designed to be held in' properly spaced relation by one or more rounds 5', while two or more cross bars 6 are disposed between the upper portions of the side pieces and are arranged to' support a' suitable back 7 which preferably terminates' below the upper ends of the side pieces to permit the projecting portionsv of the latter to b'e utilized as supports for coats or hats or the like, when desired. In the present instance, I have reinforced the respective side pieces by riveting or otherwise rigidly securing plates S contiguous to the intermediate portions in such a manner that said plates project over the recesses in proximity to the upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders, as shown. The rear legs 9 of this chair are connected by one or more suitable rounds and have their upper ends mounted between those projecting portions of the plates 8 in proximity to the downwardly facing shoulders 4, and are provided with hinge straps 10 which terminate in transverse eyes that are riveted or otherwise pivotally secured between the respective plates to hingedly connect the rear legs to the side pieces in such a manner that when the chair is not desired for use, such legs may be swung inwardly and positioned in the recesses 1a at the corren sponding edges of the side pieces. The upper ends of the rear legs 9 are preferably beveled as shown, and are arranged, when in an operative position, to bear against the re spective downwardly facing shoulders 4 to distribute the weight and strengthen the structure as a whole.

It is thought that in practice, with the arrangement of parts just described, there will bel no tendency of the rear legs to become accidentally folded, but as a precautionary measure, I preferably employ one or more toggle braces 11 which are pivotally secured at their opposite ends to the corresponding front and rear legs, as shown.

13 designates the seat portion which may be of any desired construction or design, eX- cepting that it embodies side bars 14 which have their rear ends mounted between the projecting portions of the plates 8 in proX- vtransverse eyes riveted or otherwise pivotally secured between the plates in spaced relation to such upwardly facing shoulders, to

hingedly connect the seat to the respective side pieces in. such a manner that when 1n an operative position the seat will rest upon the said shoulders, or may be swung upwardly against the upper ends of the side pieces to assume an inoperative position, and be received in the corresponding recesses la.

It'is to be particularly observed that in the construction of a chair embodying the improvements of my invention, the pieces cut from the opposite edges of the side pieces to form the recesses la, may be utilized as the rear legs 9 and the side bars 14 of the seat, thus effecting a considerable economy in the amount of material used, and reducing the cost of construction of the chair.

F rom the above description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved chair in which the side pieces are so constructed as to brace the rear legs and the seat and relieve the said parts of excessive strain, which is simple and durablein construction and which consists of comparatively few parts that may be easily and chetply manufactured vand Vreadily assemble Having thus described the invention, whatV I claim is:

A folding chair comprising side pieces each formed in opposite longitudinal edges with Ycorresponding upper and lower rei. cesses terminating near the middle ofthe' side ,piece in lupwardly and downwardly facing shoulders, pairs of reinforcing plates secured to opposite faces'of the side pieces and projecting tnerebeyond in proximity to the shoulders, a seat embodying side bars hinged to the side pieces and adaptedto rest upon the upwardly facing shoulders, rear legs hinged to the side pieces and adapted toY abut against the downwardly facing shoulders, the said side bars and legs being interposed between corresponding projecting portions of the plates andV being movable intoV inoperative positions inthe respective re- Y cesses, and means for holding the rear legsv 

